RIYADH: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) has signed a joint executive program with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to provide vital shelter and winter assistance for Syrian families returning to their home country, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) has reported.
The agreement was signed Friday on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York by KSrelief Supervisor General Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih.
Under the initiative, 987 damaged residential units will be rehabilitated into safe, habitable living spaces. The program also includes the distribution of 10,768 winter kits—featuring high-thermal-insulation blankets, protective plastic tarpaulins, winter apparel, and heavy jackets—to shield vulnerable households from harsh winter weather.
The joint campaign is set to assist 58,625 vulnerable individuals across five governorates: Aleppo, Rural Damascus (Reef Dimashq), Deir Ezzor, Idlib, and Homs. Priority will be directed toward female heads of households, widows, children, the elderly, and families in acute need.
According to SPA, the program forms part of Saudi Arabia’s broader humanitarian commitment, carried out through KSrelief, to support the voluntary, dignified, and safe return of displaced Syrian families, bolster community resilience, and establish long-term domestic stability.
The move comes as the new Syrian administration expands coordination with the United Nations, Saudi Arabia, and international partners to facilitate the safe reintegration of citizens who fled abroad during more than a decade of civil war, addressing critical infrastructure shortages and immediate returnee needs.
Saudi Arabia has played a leading humanitarian role since the conflict erupted in 2011. Official figures published by Saudi media and SPA confirm the Kingdom received and accommodated roughly 2.5 million Syrians throughout the crisis.
Rather than housing displaced Syrians in refugee camps, Saudi authorities granted them formal residency and visitor statuses with complete freedom of movement and access to community living.
Under royal decrees, more than 100,000 Syrian children were integrated into Saudi public schools tuition-free, while Syrian residents received access to free public healthcare and work permits.
Concurrently, the Kingdom channeled hundreds of millions of dollars through KSrelief and national relief campaigns to support regional refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey.